The summer monsoon of 2009 was stingy on rainfall making food scarce for most
birds. The
Canyon Grape (Vitis arizonica) were about the only food
available and were concentrated in this thicket and thus so were fruit-eating
birds. And the concentration of birds made for easy pickings for this Cooper's
Hawk at Coon Creek, Sierra Ancha, Gila Co., Arizona on Aug. 8.

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Cooper's Hawks have a preference for wooded areas and so in the Sonoran Desert
they tend to remain near cottonwood or sycamore gallery woodlands that occur
along riparian streams. Occasionally they hunt in the cities or near farms
where there are trees and bird feeders. Cooper's hunt primarily for smaller
birds up to the size of city pigeons. They build their nests in the crowns of
large stream-side trees. Trespassing hikers are vocally scolded especially
during nesting season.

Sharp-shinned Hawk is very similar and also occurs in the Sonoran Desert.
Cooper's is usually larger, but female sharpies are often larger than male
cooper's. Sharpies have a squared-off tail vs. cooper's rounded tail; this
trait is often hard to see. If confusion remains it is often safer just to
identify these birds as Accipiters.